LITERARY ELEMENTS

Below is a list of LITERARY ELEMENTS  or the parts of a story. When you examine your work for critique or presentation, ask the following questions based on the important literary elements in your story.

THEME

The story's ideas? Author's attitude towards those ideas? Author's "statement" about those ideas? The story's message or main point? Your attitude?

CONFLICT:

What people/forces/ideas/interests/values/institutions oppose each other? What decisions must the characters make? Between what two things is he/she deciding? What do these things represent?

CHARACTERIZATION:

What kinds of person or people are the character(s)? What are their beliefs, hopes, dreams, ideals, values, morals, fears, strengths, weaknesses, vices, virtues, talents, etc.? How do they conduct themselves? What do they say and do to reveal themselves? What do others say and do about the? What are your opinions or feelings about them? Classifications of types of characters include: protagonist, antagonist, foil, stereotype, flat, round, static, dynamic.

SYMBOLISM:

What concrete, specific objects have been used to represent abstract ideas? What colors, names, settings, recurring objects have been referred to? What ideas do these represent?

SETTING:

Setting refers to TIME and PLACE: Time: of day, year, era/age? Place: city, country? Outside, inside? Rich and opulent or poor and simple? Stark and barren landscape? Rainy or sunny? Beautiful or adversarial? Dark or light? Dangerous or safe? The weather? how does all this affect meaning? What feelings (atmosphere) are evoked just by the setting?

STYLE:

The way the writer chooses to arrange his sentence structure (syntax) as well as the words (diction) he chooses. What is the overall effect of the way he writes? Simple, involved, poetic, colloquial, humorous, pedantic, child-like? How does it contribute to the author’s message and the overall effect the author wishes to create?

TONE:

The author’s attitude towards what (s)he is writing that translates into your attitude: or - what is the feeling of the whole work and the writing/artist's craft? Joyful? Melancholy? Fatalistic? Angry? Peaceful? Scary? Mysterious? 

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
What kinds of comparisons are made that add layers to the meaning of the poem or story?
         
• A metaphor is a direct comparison: my love is a rose, or he was a snake.
• A simile is indirect, mediated by "like" or "as": my love is like a rose, or he was
as mean as a snake.

• Allusion is a reference to another literary or artistic work or cultural icon/event.